


It's All In The Grind

by hawksonfire



Series: MCU Kink Bingo Round 3 2019 [14]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint is a Barista, Deaf Clint Barton, Fluff, M/M, Natasha is a Barista too, POV Clint Barton, SO MUCH FLUFF, coffee shop AU, honestly i might explode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 09:33:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18635470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawksonfire/pseuds/hawksonfire
Summary: Clint keeps meaning to put his number on Hotty McHottersons cup. Really, he does. He just gets distracted every time because the guy is so damn pretty!





	It's All In The Grind

**Author's Note:**

> Written for MCU Kink Bingo Round 3 Square O1 - Character is a Barista.  
> Also written for Clint Barton Bingo Square B2 - Coffee Shop AU.

**Clint**

Clint loves his job. Working at  _ It’s All In The Grind _ is probably the best thing that’s ever happened to him in his entire life - even if it’s currently five a.m., and Clint is cursing past-Clint who told Wanda that he would take her shift so she could visit her brother over the weekend. “Why, past-Clint, why? You have forsaken me!” Clint cries, shaking his fist at the ceiling blearily as he waits for his (free) coffee to finish brewing.

“Shut up and drink your coffee,” Tasha says as she brushes past him.

“It’s still brewing,” Clint whines, “Nat, make time go faster.”

“Close your eyes, snap your fingers and three seconds will have passed,” she deadpans. Clint sticks his tongue out at her childishly.

The bell above the door rings and Clint turns around, putting on his best customer service smile - and promptly chokes on his own tongue. The guy that just walked through the door is stupidly attractive. Clint pulls himself together (hopefully before Hotty McHotterson noticed) and says, “Hi! Welcome to It’s All In The Grind. What can I get for you today?”

McHotterson stares at him silently. Clint continues smiling. “What’s good?” McHotterson grunts, shuffling closer. Clint can barely hear him so he sticks a pen behind his ear and subtly adjusts his hearing aids.

“Well, our gingerbread latte is pretty delightful, and our seasonal drinks are pretty good if you don’t mind some sugar, but my personal favourite is our mocha.” Clint winks. “It’ll mocha man out of you.”

McHotterson stares at him. “That was awful,” he groans - but Clint can see a small smile tugging at his lips. 

Clint grins. “That’s me, server of coffee and awful puns.” He waggles his eyebrows. 

“Despite my better judgement, I’ll take a medium mocha,” McHotterson says, smirking slightly. 

Clint’s grin widens. “Great! That’ll be four fifty, and can I grab your name for the cup?” McHotterson looks around at the otherwise empty cafe slowly, then looks back at Clint and raises an eyebrow. Clint shrugs. “Company policy.”

McHotterson snorts adorably as he hands over the coins. “M’ name’s James, sweet stuff.”

Clint feels his cheeks burning and looks down at the cup, scribbling James on it - and adding a little winky face, because why not. “Alright, James, your drink will be ready over by the straws.” James grins at him and walks over to the straws, leaning against the wall and pulling his phone out. Clint only stares at him for three seconds smiling like a moron before Tasha snaps a dish towel against his ass. “Ouch, goddammit Tash!”

“Stop staring at Tall, Dark, and Handsome and get started on the sugar cookie display.” Clint sticks his tongue out at her when she turns her back. “Put your tongue back in your mouth, Clint.”

“You’re not even looking at me!”

“Am I wrong?”

“... No.”

“Exactly. Sugar cookies.  _ Now _ .”

Clint bows dramatically. “Yes, your majesty. Would you like some tea with your breakfast as well?”

“No, but I would like some hot chocolate.” She whips him with the dish towel again, ignoring his squawk of outrage. “Get started. James, your mocha.” Clint blinks. He totally forgot James was still in the cafe. 

“Fuck...” he mumbles, peeking over the cookie display to find James staring right at him, beaming. Clint squeaks and ducks behind the display case, feeling his cheeks burn even more. The bell rings, and the next time Clint peeks over the display case, James is gone.

“Next time, write your number on the cup, dummy,” Tasha says, cuffing the back of his head. He hisses and rubs the back of his head, scowling. 

“Yeah?” He challenges. “I’ll do it if you leave your number on Pepper’s cup when she’s in next.” Natasha pinkens and glares at him. “That’s what I thought - ow, Natasha, quit it!” Clint rubs at the sore spot on his ass and starts shoving sugar cookies in the display case. Next time, he thinks to himself, I  _ will _ put my number on his cup - take that, Natasha!

~~~~~~

It’s nearly a week later that James comes in again - this time almost immediately after they open. He walks in and Clint shouts, “James! Welcome back!” James blinks and takes a step backwards, startled. Clint winces. “Sorry,” he says at a much lower volume, “Didn’t mean to startle you. Been a while, how you been?”

James shrugs. “Been better. Your mocha still good?”

Clint beams at him. “Always and forever,” he says, scribbling down James’ name on the cup and passing it over to Wanda. She takes it slowly, staring at him. He cocks an eyebrow and she shakes her head. “Four fifty,” Clint says, turning back to James. James hands over the coins and Clint grins at him. “Wanda’ll have your coffee ready in a few.”

James smiles hesitantly at him and Clint  _ melts _ . This guy is so freakin’ adorable, Clint just wants to squeeze him. James heads over to where his coffee will be ready and leans against the wall, pulling out his phone again. Wanda hands him his coffee and he walks out, throwing a little wave to Clint as he leaves.

“You like him,” Wanda states. 

“He’s pretty,” Clint sighs dreamily. “I wanna hug him.”

“So leave your number on his cup or something,” Wanda suggests. 

Clint’s eyes fly open and he shouts, “Fuck!”

~~~~~~

“Don’t forget this time, you moron,” Clint mutters to himself. He unlocks the door to the cafe and walks inside to start opening. “Write your number on his cup. Then the ball’s in his court.” He opens the cafe and putters around for a few minutes, filling his purple mug with coffee and sipping at it as he waits for customers. He took the early shift again - mostly because that’s the only one that James ever comes in on, but if Tasha asks, it’s because he needs to start waking up earlier anyway.

The bell above the door rings and Clint looks up with a smile on his face. It’s not James, but Clint keeps the smile and sets down his mug. “Hi! Welcome to It’s All In The Grind, what can I get you?”

The blond guy that just walked in is shaped like a freaking Dorito and Clint would be jealous, except that he knows for a fact that he has really nice arms. “Uh, I’m supposed to ask for a mocha?” 

Clint raises an eyebrow and pauses in reaching for the cup. “Supposed to?”

Dorito-man’s ears turn pink. “My friend - uh, James - comes in here all the time and he says the mochas are really good.”

Clint grins. “Well, he’s not wrong. They’ll certainly mocha man out of you.” He wiggles his eyebrows and Dorito-man snorts. 

“That was an awful pun,” he informs Clint.

“But it got you to smile, so I’m calling it a success!” He jokingly pumps his arm into the air. “Can I grab your name for the cup?”

“Steve.”

“Alright then Steve, that’ll be four fifty.” He takes Steve’s money and walks over to the machine to make his coffee. 

“Just you this morning?” Steve asks, following along on the other side of the counter.    


Clint nods. “Yeah, our manager’s off overthrowing the Russian government and the other two employees are visiting family somewhere.”

Steve looks bewildered. “I’m sorry, did you say overthrowing the Russian government?”

Clint nods, not looking up. “Yeah, she overthrows a new government like every week or something - I think she has to fill a monthly quota.” When he hands Steve his coffee he meets his eyes and grins. 

“You’re fucking with me,” Steve says, starting to smile.

Clint shrugs. “Well, gotta make the time pass by faster somehow! Enjoy your mocha!” Steve waves and turns to leave. “Hey, Steve?” Clint bites his lip as Steve turns around, eyebrow raised in question. “Tell James I said hi,” Clint offers, smiling shyly.

“Will do,” Steve says, saluting as he walks out of the cafe. Clint grins, satisfied with his attempts at reaching out to James. 

“Aw, fuck!” Clint curses, realizing he forgot to write his number on the cup again. “I need to leave myself a sticky note or something,” he mutters, grabbing his purple mug from the counter and downing half of it in one sip.

~~~~~~

James comes into the coffee shop four more times over the next couple weeks, and each time, Clint forgets to put his number on the cup. Natasha, Wanda and even Scott get progressively more fed up with him. Until the fifth time that James comes in and leaves without Clint’s number when they’ve finally had enough. 

“This is ridiculous,” Tasha says, pulling Clint’s apron over his head. 

“You are head over heels for this James,” Wanda says, grabbing his notepad and pen out of his hands. 

“If you don’t chase after him right this second and give him your phone number,” Scott says, shoving Clint’s jacket into his arms, “I will. And then we’ll both be sad and lonely after he turns me down.” 

Clint stares at them uncomprehendingly. “Go!” They shout and Clint whirls around, tugging on his coat as he flies out the door, head whipping back and forth as he searches for James. He catches sight of James half a block down from the cafe and starts running after him.    
  
“James, hold up!” He shouts, panting. James turns around, a shocked look on his face. Clint skids to a stop in front of him and doubles over, panting loudly. 

“You alright?” James asks, a worried look on his face when Clint stands up after catching his breath. 

“I’ve had a crush on you since the first day you came into It’s All In The Grind,” Clint rushes out, “And I kept meaning to put my number on your cup but I kept forgetting because you’re stupidly attractive and I get really dumb around attractive people and I just wanted to - mmf!” James’ mouth is suddenly on his and Clint kisses back happily, glad to be shut up for once.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you on a date since I walked in and you said that stupid pun,” James says when he pulls back, grinning and keeping one hand on the back on Clint’s neck. “So, you wanna go on a date with me?”

Clint grins. “As long as it’s not coffee,” he says seriously. James bursts into laughter and honestly - Clint thinks it’s the best sound, better even than the sound the coffee machine makes when he wakes it up in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> My boys need some fluffy. So do I, for that matter.


End file.
